The thermal properties of amorphous Fe40Pd40B20 and Fe60Pd20B20 thin films

• FePdB films were amorphous in the range 25–75 Å.
• FePdB films exhibited a FePd (111) structure in the range 100–200 Å.
• The crucial glass forming ability index was determined using the DSC.
• Kissinger formula was applied to calculate the activation energy of crystallization.
• The thermal performance of Fe40Pd40B20 is more favorable than Fe60Pd20B20.

The thermal stability of FePdB thin films was studied using nonisothermal and isothermal analyses. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that Fe40Pd40B20 and Fe60Pd20B20 films with thicknesses in the range 25–75 Å were amorphous, whereas Fe40Pd40B20 and Fe60Pd20B20 films with thicknesses in the range 100–200 Å exhibited a nanocrystalline FePd (111) structure. The crucial glass forming ability index (γ and γm) was determined using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results of amorphous FePdB films. The Kissinger formula was applied to calculate the activation energy (Q) of crystallization for determining the resistance of the films to crystallization. Thermal analysis showed that the thermal stability and incubation time of Fe40Pd40B20 are more favorable than those of Fe60Pd20B20.